Welsh body takes lamb promotion to Denmark

The British ambassador to Denmark hosted a Welsh Lamb reception at her home near Copenhagen to allow Welsh exporters to discuss potential business deals with Danish importers and retailers.

The latest promotional campaign for Welsh Lamb in Denmark, which took place at ambassador Vivien Life’s residence, was organised by Hybu Cig Cymru – Meat Promotion Wales (HCC) in association with the British Embassy and UK Trade and Investment.

Laura Pickup, HCC’s market development manager, said: “It was a wonderful opportunity to highlight the qualities that led to Welsh Lamb being granted the coveted Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status by the European Commission.

“The latest export figures show that Welsh Lamb to the value of £1.1 million was sold in the country last year, and I’m confident that the Danish public have an appetite for even more.”

HCC is aiming to grow exports to Denmark, and the country is therefore the focus of a major new campaign, co-funded by the European Commission, to promote the PGI product.

Speaking at the event, Pickup told attendees that there were a number of similarities between the Danish and Welsh food industries: “The Danish pig industry is known for its quality, food safety, animal welfare and traceability, creating the basis for the country becoming one of the globe’s largest pigmeat producers.

“The same is true of Wales with regards to our sheep industry. While Wales may be a small country, we punch well above our weight when it comes to lamb production, because we have one of the highest density sheep populations anywhere in the world.

“That goes a long way to explain why we are experts in producing some of the tastiest, most succulent lamb that can be found anywhere on earth – in fact it’s fair to say that Welsh Lamb is a global brand.”